Third Time's the Charm
by miss.eli
Summary: The first time I meet Bella Swan, she's completely unobtainable. The second time I meet Bella Swan, she's hesitant to trust me and let me into her life. Third time's the charm, right? A Meet the Mate contest entry.


o-o-o-o-o-o

 _The first time I meet Bella Swan..._

I'm wandering around campus at the University of Minnesota, killing time until class starts, when I see a gorgeous chick exiting the physics building. She's wearing a maroon t-shirt with the school logo and a pair of dark jeans that hug the curve of her ass sinfully. Her hair is long, like middle of her back long, and it's all curled and tousled like she just had a hell of a lot more fun than is appropriate for a physics class. Of course, since I'm a red-blooded 15-year-old male, my dick notices and decides he wants to introduce himself to her. Down boy.

She's heading the direction I'm supposed to be going, so I decide it's not creepy if I follow behind her for a while and appreciate the view. Really, I deserve a little reward today; after all, not every kid gets into the Advanced Youth Math Program here.

I trail behind her at a distance I hope isn't too obvious, but as we approach the quad, I lose her in a crowd of students flooding out of the library. After taking a moment of silence to grieve for what I've lost, I glance at my watch and realize I should probably head to class.

I plunk down in a seat in the middle of the room, not wanting to sit in the front and look like a suck-up, but knowing I won't be able to see the board well enough from the back. Other students trickle in slowly, and I try not to smirk at some of the younger kids who come in looking like they're about to piss themselves. They're so little, it's hard to believe they're old enough, but I suppose the program is for kids as young as 11. They must be some fucking prodigies to be here so young.

A middle aged guy walks in, sporting a 'stache that would make Ron Burgundy proud, followed by - oh, fuck me. It's the chick from the quad, except now she's close enough where I can see her face, and it's just a hot as the rest of her. And it's a damn good thing I'm sitting down and will have the next two hours to will my dick to stand down.

Middle aged dude introduces himself as Mr. Banner, gives us an overview of the class, and then gestures to the babe standing next to him and tells her to introduce herself.

She gives us an awkward little wave. "Hey, guys, I'm Bella Swan. I'm a junior, math major, and I'm your TA. If you have questions about the material or homework, I'm the one you should come to, and I'll be setting up a couple study sessions throughout the semester." I let her voice wash over me, sweet and gentle, and when I glance around, I notice a couple other guys with dopey looks on their faces, completely under her spell.

I saw her first, fuckers.

Banner passes out the syllabus and jumps right into the first lesson, but my eyes keep darting over to Bella. I'm so wrapped up in daydreams about her that I'm startled when Banner closes his book and dismisses us. Fuck, did he assign homework? I look in the syllabus, and it says to expect homework each week, but it doesn't list the problems. Shit.

Wait, this could be a blessing in disguise. Now I have a legitimate reason to approach Bella. I wait patiently behind the couple of other dudes who approached her right away after class let out, smirking at their pathetic attempts at flirting. They don't have a snowball's chance in hell with this goddess. They know it, and she knows it, but she smiles kindly at them the entire time, steering the conversation back to the class any time they try to veer into more personal territory.

Finally, they give up and wander out, tails between their legs. She smiles at me as I approach her desk, and my palms go sweaty. Fuck, she is a walking, talking wet-dream. After seeing the way she shut down the other guys, I know I'm going to have to be subtle about this.

"Hey, Bella. I'm Edward Cullen. I, uh, don't suppose you could tell me what the homework assignment was?" I play up my sheepishness, lifting my arm to run through my hair, making sure I flex my bicep at the same time. Subtly, of course.

"Daydreaming already, Edward?" she chastises me playfully, and fuck if my dick doesn't twitch when she says my name. She purses her lips and "tsks" at me, and now I'm picturing her pretty pink lips puckering for another reason. I casually shift my notebook so it's in front of my hips, and shrug with a rueful grin. She sighs but smiles, and scribbles down the list of problems I'm supposed to work on before the next class.

"Here you go," she says, handing me the page. "Don't make this a habit now, ok? I can't save you every week."

I fold it carefully and stick it in my back pocket, giving her my best smile. "Thanks, Bella. It was just first day jitters, I guess. Won't happen again. See you next week," I offer before sauntering out of the room.

That night, remembering the sound of my name falling from petal soft lips, imagining all the different ways I could get her to sigh or scream it, I stroke myself to the best orgasm I've ever had.

This class is torture.

Not the math, I could do that in my sleep. But, being in the same room as Bella for hours each week and not being able to do anything but watch her from afar. I live for the kind notes she writes on my homework, praising me for my good work, and I like to believe I'm the only one she does that for.

Even though I don't need to, I go to every single study session, since it means I get to see her a little extra that week. We've exchanged a few emails, but every time I try to bring up anything remotely personal, she shuts those conversations down gently but firmly. She's a tough nut to crack, this one. But, I'm motivated. I'll figure it out.

Once, during a test, she's wandering up and down the rows of desks, making sure no one is cheating, and she stops next to me. She leans down over my shoulder, her floral scent enveloping me, and all of my blood immediately migrates south.

"Watch those negative signs, Edward," she whispers, her breath tickling my ear, and I close my eyes and swallow thickly, using all of my self-control not to come in my pants. She straightens up and moves on, but I sit there staring blankly at my test for a full ten minutes, trying to will enough blood back to my brain so I can finish taking this stupid test. The faster I finish, the faster I can get home and beat off.

Finally, it's the last day of class, and Bella and Mr. Banner are saying their farewells to the class and wishing us luck next year. Bella beams at us, telling us how much fun it's been to get to know us, how impressive she thinks we all are, and how she's proud of all of us.

I'd like to think she's thinking specifically of me when she says that stuff, and is only including the other students to be polite. I mean, it's the end of the year and she's not our TA anymore, so she could drop the professional front and play favorites now, but I can appreciate her diplomacy. Some of the other guys in class would be crushed if they knew that I was her favorite.

When Banner dismisses us, I have to wait behind a crowd of my classmates who want to say good-bye to Bella. That's ok, I would wait forever for this girl. Finally, the last stragglers leave, and Bella turns a beaming smile at me.

"Any big plans for the summer, Edward?" she asks when I approach her.

"Nah, nothing super exciting. You?" I'm desperate for any sliver of personal information she'll give me. She doles them out so frugally, and I hoard them like a squirrel with acorns preparing for winter.

She shrugs casually. "I suppose I'll start planning my wedding."

I'm nodding encouragingly until her words finally penetrate my brain; they set off a nuclear reaction that Oppenheimer would be proud of. The fuck? Wedding? My eyes dart down to her left hand, and sure enough, there's a sparkly little diamond sitting on her finger. _Little_ being the operative word. Fucker couldn't even get her a proper ring.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were engaged," I offer weakly, hoping my voice doesn't betray the fact that she's just ripped my heart out of my chest.

She hums a little as she tucks her notebook and folder into her bag. "Yeah, Tyler proposed over spring break. We're not going to get married until after we graduate, but that stuff is so expensive, we need time to find the best deals, y'know?"

No, I didn't know. And I didn't know how I could have missed a ring on her finger for months. What the fuck was I looking at that whole time? Well, her tits. And her ass. And her face. So, I guess it makes sense I missed a piddly little ring on her finger.

I think what hurts the most is the realization that I'm just some little math nerd to her, just like the rest of them. Fuck. Time to get out of here before I really embarrass myself and do something stupid, like cry. I gather up the few shreds of dignity I have left, wish her good luck, and flee.

 _The second time I meet Bella Swan..._

I'm picking up discarded juice boxes near the picnic tables when a little blur hurtles towards me and attaches itself to my legs. I look down into the beaming face of my favorite camper, all sparkling brown eyes and wild curls, and can't help but grin back.

"Aren't you supposed to be packing up your stuff to go home, Miss Katie?"

"I'm all done, Mr. Edward! And Mommy is here, and you promised you'd say hi and ask her about the baseball game. You promised!"

"Breathe, Munchkin," I chuckle. "Yes, I promised. Lead the way."

She grabs my hand and tugs. She's surprisingly strong for a four year old - sorry, four and three-quarters, as I've been corrected several times - and I trail behind her towards the line of cars where parents are collecting their children.

I've been a counselor at Wolf Ridge for a few years now, and Katie is by far my favorite camper ever. She's bubbly and sweet, and there's just something about her that draws me in. Maybe it's those big brown eyes. I've always been a sucker for brown eyes.

We approach a blue SUV where a woman, who I assume is Katie's mom, is bent over at the waist, digging around in the backseat. Her incredible ass is on full display, and I send up a quick thanks to the universe that I'm wearing my sunglasses so I can ogle this amazing sight without Katie being any wiser. I've always been a sucker for amazing asses, too.

"Mommy!" Katie shrieks, and the woman jerks up in surprise, knocking the back of her head on the door frame before she spins around with a huge smile on her face.

"Katie!" she calls, kneeling down and opening her arms wide. Katie lets go of my hand to rush towards her, and I grin as the woman engulfs Katie in a huge hug.

I approach them slowly, giving them time to reunite. After all, Katie has been at camp for two weeks, which is a really long time for a little kid to be away from her parents. Probably not any easier on the parents, either.

The woman straightens up as I reach them, still holding Katie in her arms. She lifts her sunglasses and I stop dead in my tracks.

"Mommy, did you get my letters? This is my favorite teacher, the one I was telling you about. Mr -"

"Edward Cullen," she finishes for Katie, staring at me with an unreadable expression. God, even five years later, the sound of my name coming from her lips is enough to make my dick twitch in my shorts. Too bad I don't have a notebook to hide behind this time.

"Mr. Edward! Ask Mommy about the baseball game. You promised!" Katie demands, breaking the silence in the way only she can.

"Why don't you ask, Munchkin? They're your tickets," I remind her.

She turns in Bella's arms, facing her again, announcing, "Guess what, Mommy! I won tickets to see the Twins play! It's Saturday and I won three tickets and I want you, and me, and Mr. Edward to go. Can we go, Mommy, please?"

"What about Grampa Charlie?" Bella says. "He loves watching baseball with you and will be sad if we go to a game without him."

Katie shakes her head vehemently, her whole body wiggling in Bella's arms. "We just went to the game with him a couple weeks ago. It's Mr. Edward's turn!"

"We don't really know Mr. Edward, baby," Bella says quietly, trying to be discreet.

There's not a discreet bone in Katie's body. "I do! I know Mr. Edward! And he can come over for dinner tonight and you can get to know him!" Katie announces. "He's really fun! He taught me all about flowers and trees and bugs and -"

Bella looks at me pleadingly as Katie rambles on, but I just smirk at her. No way am I talking Katie out of this. Finally Bella sighs and places a finger over Katie's lips, stopping her rant. "You have to help me cook dinner," she says, and Katie squeals and throws her arms around Bella's neck.

"Yay! Thank you, Mommy! This is going to be so much fun!"

I smile at Bella over Katie's head where she's regarding me warily. So much fun indeed.

Dinner with Bella and Katie is awesome. We make individual pizzas using pre-made biscuits, and Katie insists on "decorating" mine for me. I end up with a smiley face made out of sausage and black olives, and a heart made out of pepperoni. It makes her happy, so I don't give a shit.

Bella doesn't talk much, but Katie doesn't seem to notice, filling what could have been awkward silence with her chatter about camp, her friends, and the upcoming baseball game. Eventually, Katie starts drooping, her seemingly endless supply of energy finally starting to run low. When I stand and stretch, saying I should probably head out, she pouts and crosses her arms petulantly. "No! You need to stay and have grown-up talk with Mommy so she knows you're not a bad guy like the ones Grampa chases."

I glance at Bella, not wanting to push my luck by over-staying my welcome, but she looks resigned. "You might as well stay," she sighs. "This little terrorist will refuse to go to bed until you agree not to leave." Katie beams as if that's a compliment, and I can't help but grin back at her. She's like the best wing-man ever.

While Bella puts Katie to bed, I wander around the living room, soaking in the details that Bella always kept close to the vest. The pictures that litter every available surface are a goldmine. Bella on her graduation day, flanked by who I assume are her parents, proud smiles on their faces. Bella holding a tiny bundle wrapped in pink, looking exhausted but so, so happy. Bella and Katie at the zoo, at the beach, playing in the snow. It doesn't escape my notice that there's no guy in any of these pictures, just the two pretty girls with their matching wild hair and killer brown eyes.

I'm startled out of my exploration by a throat clearing behind me. Bella stands awkwardly in the doorway, regarding me warily. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable in her own home, so I try to reassure her.

"I can go, now that Katie's not here to force you to let me stay," I offer, though the last thing I want is to leave.

She sighs and her shoulders slump. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make you feel unwelcome," she murmurs. "This is just... weird, isn't it?"

"How so?" Nothing about this seems weird to me. Beyond my wildest dreams, maybe, but not weird.

"Just... you, here. Like, the last time I saw you, you were this awkward kid with a perpetual hard-on for me, and now you're in the middle of my living room, all grown-up and... not awkward, and you know my daughter, and it's just... weird..." she rambles.

My eyes go wide about halfway through her rant. "You knew? That I was... uh..." I stammer, knowing there's no delicate way to talk about my past reactions to her. Her eyes flash down to my crotch for a split second before a fiery blush burns her cheeks as she averts her eyes and nods.

"How?" I'm completely shocked.

She snorts a laugh. "C'mon Edward, you weren't exactly subtle," she says, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"Well, I thought I was," I pout, and her little smirk becomes a full-fledged grin. God, she has a gorgeous smile, even if it's at my expense.

"I know. That's what made it so funny," she reveals, and now she's giggling, the happy sound sparking something deep in my belly. I want to do whatever it takes to hear that noise as often as possible. It's so joyful, so contagious, that I can't help but chuckle, too.

After our laughter subsides, she offers me a beer and we settle on opposite ends of the couch. She asks what I've been up to over the last few years, and I recount the highlights for her. But, my life is boring, and what I really want to hear is what she's been up to.

So, I ask, and the light fades from her eyes a little. "Oh, you know. Graduated, had a baby, work. Boring stuff," she tries to brush me off, but I won't let her this time.

"Come on, Bella. Last time I saw you, you were planning a wedding, but as far as I can tell, there's no husband in the picture. What happened?"

"Edward, I don't really know you. That's kinda personal, don't you think?"

I shrug, because she's right, but I still want to know. I wait patiently, and finally she sighs, downs the rest of her beer, and leans back against the couch.

"Fine, but I don't want to hear one word out of you while I'm telling this. I hate talking about it, so you're only going to hear this story once."

I nod eagerly, and mime zipping my lips, settling myself against the arm of the sofa.

"Tyler and I met in high school, though we didn't really get together until we were in college. I really liked him, and I could see myself having a future with him. Then, that year I was your TA, we got a little... enthusiastic with our New Year's celebration. I got pregnant, and he proposed not long after we found out. Looking back, I'm pretty sure it's because his parents were super traditional and didn't approve of babies out of wedlock." She takes a deep breath and shakes her head ruefully.

"Anyway, we were both terrified. It hadn't been our original plan, but we were in love and I thought we could make it work. But then he stopped answering my calls and texts. I finally drove over to his house and pounded on the door until he let me in. He told me he wasn't ready to do the Dad thing, that he needed to focus on college, and starting his career, and obviously he couldn't do that with a wife and baby."

"So, I'll save you the gory details, but there was no wedding, he's not listed as her father on her birth certificate, and it's just been me and Katie ever since." Bella shrugs as if it's no big deal, but I can see the hurt in her eyes. I want to find this guy, and after I beat him to a bloody pulp for hurting someone as sweet as Bella, for abandoning an amazing kid like Katie, I want to thank him for being so stupid to give them up and giving me a chance to be in their life.

Hoping she doesn't think I'm being too forward, I lean over and rest my hand over hers. She stiffens a little at my touch, but she doesn't pull her hand away. "Edward, what are you doing here?" She sounds so vulnerable, and everything in me wants to do whatever it takes to take that hurt away.

"Bella," I say softly. "I know we don't know each other well, but I... want to. Katie's already got me wrapped around her little finger, and I know it wouldn't take much for you to have the same power over me. I just..." I trail off, because I don't know how to put into words the way I feel.

"You're 20, Edward. You should be going to frat parties, and chasing sorority girls, and skipping your morning classes because you stayed out too late the night before. Not going to birthday parties, and chasing down missing Barbie shoes, and going in to work late because you had to stay up all night with a sick baby."

"I'm 21," I correct her softly, and she scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Look, Bella, I know most 21 year olds would be doing all those things you said, but that's never been my scene. Let me decide what I should be doing. And right now, I really just want to get to know you better, spend time with you and Katie. If it turns into more..." I trail off and shrug.

She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths before she must come to a decision. She turns those big, brown eyes on me, a small smile playing on her lips. "I could always use more friends," she murmurs, and I grin like I've just won the lottery. I'll take _friends_...for now.

It's a perfect day for baseball, and we're at Target Field watching the Yankees obliterate the Twins. Katie couldn't care less about the game and is chattering away like a magpie, hyped up on cotton candy and popcorn, because I can't say no to those puppy-dog eyes. Those eyes should be illegal.

It's the middle of the sixth inning when Katie shrieks and points at the jumbotron, waving wildly. Bella and I both turn to see what has her so excited, only to see our own faces projected back at us, the words "Kiss Cam" hovering above us on the screen. Oh fuck.

Bella must realize what this means at the same time I do because I see her eyes go wide, magnified five stories high. She looks completely terrified. Hoping to appease the cameraman without crossing a line with Bella, I pull Katie close and plant a big kiss on her cheek. She giggles and beams as the crowd lets out a collective _Aww_ , and thankfully, the cameraman moves on to his next victim.

I glance at Bella, and she's turned those wide brown eyes at me. I might be imagining it, but I think she almost looks disappointed. "Hey," I murmur, leaning closer to her. "Sorry, that was awkward. I know we're not... there yet."

"It's not your fault," she reassures me. She looks like she's about to say something else, but she stops herself, biting her lower lip instead. If she's trying to convince me I made the right decision not to kiss her, that is not the way to go about it.

It's also apparently the perfect way to make me lose my filter. "I really want to, you know?" Her eyes widen a little, but she doesn't say anything. "Kiss you," I clarify unnecessarily.

"Edward," she breathes, and before I can decipher if her tone means she agrees and wants to kiss me, too, or she's about to shoot me down, Katie shrieks again and the crowd around us breaks out into loud laughter.

I glance up at the screen again, and sure enough, that sadistic cameraman has focused back on Bella and me. Apparently my kiss for Katie wasn't good enough. Fine. I mean, I just told Bella I want to kiss her, and she didn't slap me or storm off, so maybe she's warming up to the idea? One way to find out, I guess.

I lift a hand to cup Bella's jaw, making my intentions obvious before I lean in and brush my lips against hers. I vaguely hear the crowd cheer and clap, but I'm more interested in this gorgeous woman who is now kissing me back. I groan softly and press my lips harder against hers.

It was supposed to be just a quick kiss to appease the crowd, but I'm completely lost in the taste of her, the way her soft, sweet lips feel beneath mine. It's not until Katie tugs on my sleeve that I realize we're still in the middle of the stadium.

"You guys can stop now," she scolds. "The camera's not even on you anymore."

I press one last peck to Bella's lips before I pull back, keeping my hand on her jaw and sweeping my thumb over her lower lip. Her cheeks are flushed and I love that I'm the reason for that blush. I want to be the reason for that reaction over and over again.

"So does this mean you're willing to give me a shot as more than just a friend?" I whisper.

I can see the indecision in her eyes for just a moment before she takes a deep breath and nods gently. So, I do the only thing that makes sense: I press my lips to hers again, kissing her until Katie gets fed up with us and demands our attention.

Bella keeps me at arm's length at first, tries to keep things between us casual, but I'm persistent. And I know a lot of her hesitation is because she doesn't want Katie to get hurt if things between us go sour, so I can't fault her for wanting to take things slow.

It helps that Katie adores me, and does her part to convince Bella that I should be a part of their lives. So, little by little, I'm able to prove to Bella how much I want this, want her. That I'm not going anywhere.

And when she finally invites me into her bed, and I slide into her velvety heat for the first time, I know. It's not my first time, and it's not her first time, but it's our first time, and I know this is where I belong, forever.

 _The last time I meet Bella Swan..._

I'm pacing. I know I'm probably driving my brother crazy, but I've got too much pent-up energy to stand still. This is such an important day, but there's nothing I can do at this point but wait. I check my watch again, growling when only four minutes have passed since the last time I looked.

"You ok, bro? It's not too late to back out if you're having doubts," he offers. I know he's just trying to be helpful, but I glare at him for even suggesting it. He holds his hands up in surrender and I resume my circuit around the room.

"What if she doesn't show up?" I whisper, voicing my biggest fear.

"Seriously?" Alec scoffs. "That's what's got you so wound up? Go take a shot of whiskey and man up." With those incredibly inspiring words, he claps me on the shoulder and leaves the room. Asshole.

Finally, my dad pokes his head through the door and tells me it's time. Oh fuck. This has been such a rollercoaster of a journey, and it's finally time. I follow Dad out, take my place, and wait. Again. But this time, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

She's the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, finally, she's next to me, and even though we're in a room full of people, she's the only person I can see. Nothing else matters except the way she's smiling at me, the same joy in my soul reflected on her face.

Our surroundings finally penetrate my consciousness when I hear the pastor say, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Edward, you may kiss your bride." He doesn't have to tell me twice.

I sweep her into my arms and slant my mouth over hers, claiming her as mine forever in front of all of our friends and family. When she pulls away, her face glowing with love and happiness, it completely overwhelms me. I am the luckiest man in the world.

And that is the first time I meet Bella Cullen.

o-o-o-o-o-o

 **A/N: This is one of my entries to the Meet the Mate Contest - I didn't win anything, but I had a lot of fun writing it and there were so many great entries, I don't know how the judges decided on anything. This is actually loosely based on true life - I was a TA in a college math program for kids ages 10 to 14, and one of the boys had the** ** _biggest_** **crush on me. Beyond that, it's all fiction :)**


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